Malted barley is a grain that is similar to wheat. Barley needs to be "malted" in order to be used in the brewing process. Malting is the process in which barley is steeped in water until the individual grains begin to sprout or "germinate". The germinated barley is then dried in a kiln. After drying, the barley is said to have been "malted". This process develops sugars, soluable starches, and other characteristics in the barley desirable for brewing beer.
Malted barley is converted to sugars through a process called "mashing". The malted
barley is immersed in water at controlled temperatures that allow enzymes in the barley
to convert starches into sugars. It is these sugars that are converted through
fermentation to alcohol, carbon dioxide, and the flavors and color of the beer.
Once the valuable sugars are extracted, the grain has no purpose for the brewer.
It is then referred to as "spent grain" and is given to cattle ranchers for feed.
"Hops" are cone-like flowers that grow on a hop vine. The hop family is directly related to cannabis by a genus connection. Their bitterness and bouquet are the primary importance in the brewing process. The bitterness of the hop balances out the maltiness of the malted barley. Hops also have oils in them that aid in flavor stability and head retention. Hops can be added to the brew in two basic forms: whole flower or pelletized. Hops are added during the boiling process, and the amount and type of hop depends upon what type of brew is being produced. Additional hops may be added to the fermenting beer itself in the later stages of fermentation. This is called "dry hopping" and is done to give the beer an up-front bouquet.
"Hops" yeast is a microscopic single-celled fungus. Only two types of yeast are used in brewing. Hence, there are really only two types of beers: ales and lagers (note: at Snowshoe we only brew ales; lagers are not available).
Ale yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is top-fermenting, meaning it
does the majority of its work at the top of the tank of beer. Top-Fermenting Yeast
Ale yeast strains are best used at temperatures ranging from 10 to 25°C, though some
strains will not actively ferment below 12°C (33). Ale yeasts are generally regarded
as top-fermenting yeasts since they rise to the surface during fermentation, creating
a very thick, rich yeast head. That is why the term "top-fermenting" is associated with
ale yeasts. Fermentation by ale yeasts at these relatively warmer temperatures produces
a beer high in esters, which many regard as a distinctive character of ale beers.
Ales ferment in
2-3 weeks. Ales are generally heavier bodied, with more taste and aroma, and
sometimes served at room temperature.
Lager yeast (Saccharomyces uvarum) is "bottom fermenting", meaning
that it does the majority of its work at the bottom of the fermenter. Bottom-Fermenting Yeast
Lager yeast strains are best used at temperatures ranging from 7 to 15°C. At these temperatures, lager yeasts grow less rapidly than ale yeasts, and with less surface foam they tend to settle out to the bottom of the fermenter as fermentation nears completion. This is why they are often referred to as "bottom" yeasts. The final flavor of the beer will depend a great deal on the strain of lager yeast and the temperatures at which it was fermented.
Lagers take
between 5-8 weeks to ferment. Also, lagers are generally light in body and taste,
and are served colder.
Ale yeast, which is top fermenting, tends to make a soft or sometimes fruity beer, while lager yeast, which is bottom fermenting, can make it dry and crisp. Ales ferment at higher temperatures (66 - 74° F) than do lagers (45 - 65° F). The lower temperature prevents the fruity flavors from being absorbed.
Also, most all American lagers use the addition of adjuncts to the recipe. Adjuncts
are used to reduce the cost of the brew by not having to use only malted barley.
Adjuncts include corn, rice and wheat flakes. These have high-soluable starches and
create alcohol without adding any body or flavor to the beer. Most of the mass-produced,
commercial domestic beers are American lagers. (Bud, Coors)
"Fermentation" is the process of converting sugars to alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat via the microbial action of the yeast. The brewer must manipulate the yeast through temperature control, to produce a consistent fermentation. Fermentation in ales takes place in two phases: Primary fermentation where 90% of the conversion of sugars takes place during the first 4-5 days. Secondary fermentation, or "conditioning" takes place in the following 10-12 days, where the remaining sugars are converted and large particles are precipitated out.
Yeast is a key player in beer flavor. Important groups of chemicals produced by yeast include ester, aldehydes, fusels (high alcohols), sulfur and diacetyl. These flavor compounds may affect the beer flavor considerably, and could place it out of style, or give the beer an undesirable flavor. For example, the compound diacetyl gives the beer a "buttery" flavor... similar to hot buttered popcorn. This is considered a flaw in the brewing process. Also, certain beer styles require certain strains of yeast (e.g. Weizens and Belgian ales).
In the brewing process, yeast is reused over and over. Each time it is used, it is said to be a "generation". Here at Snowshoe Brewery we use the yeast up to 15 generations, then new yeast is purchased. We currently use a "British Ale Yeast".
All yeast wants to do is make alcohol, CO2 and more baby yeast. They are very prolific and reproduce up to 3-4 times their biomass per brew. For example, here at Snowshoe, 5 gallons of yeast is added to a brew at the very beginning and up to 15 gallons of yeast is produced after fermentation. The term for adding yeast to a brew is known as "pitching".
